NTSB Confirms go! Pilots Were Asleep!
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that two go! airlines pilots unintentionally fell asleep during a flight from Oahu to the Big Island in February. The flight flew 15 miles past Hilo, it’s intended destination, as air traffic controllers franticly tried to contact the crew. The flight landed safely at Hilo.
The NTSB recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) help airlines design fatigue management systems for their flight crews.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said, “There’s a lot of personal responsibility (that) comes into play here that flight crews are responsible for ensuring that they report to work rested.”
According to Gregor the go! pilots had nearly 15 hours to rest before the flight. “That’s almost double the minimum allowed under FAA regulations, so clearly these pilots had plenty of time to rest.”
The pilots were fired by the airline. The FAA has not yet determined what kind of discipline the pilots will face. It could range from suspension of their pilot licenses to a warning letter.